Thursday, January 30, 2003

Killing the Parasites

by Jane Kenyon

That year I discovered the virtuesof parasites as companions: they don'targue, they don't ask for much,they don't stay out until 3:00 A.M., thenlie to you about where they've been.... I can't summon the ambitionto describe tapeworm segments:they resemble small pieces of rice. They are one of the few I've seenin a bowel movement or clinging to the hair near my anus. If I hadthe ambition, I would certainlyplace them in a small container and take them in to my GP for pos-itive identification along with a fecal sample. Several types of worms may be involved, and it is important to identify all of them for proper treatment.

Like Hamlet I rehearse murderall hours of the day and night,considering each dump aspossible compost pile or grave ... The truth is that if I permit themto live, they will go on causingchanges in appetite, coughing, diarrhea (sometimes with blood), weight loss, a rough-dry coat, or just an overall poor appearance.